By order of the director of the Regional Forestry Agency-Kyustendil, the movement of vehicles to the approaches to the Seven Rila Lakes is prohibited for 90 days during the summer season, the municipality in Sapareva Banya said.
This happened after an expert meeting with representatives of the Regional Forestry Directorate, the Regional Police Directorate, the State Traffic Inspectorate, the National Revenue Agency, and the Rila National Park.
The order has been uploaded to the website of the participating departments for discussion and possible appeal and comes into force on July 6.
The problem with the illegal transportation of tourists along the only forest road to the Rila Lakes, specifically to the 17th pillar of the chairlift, with jeeps and ATVs, continued for years. Local carriers made good money all summer by driving tourists and luggage to the lakes for 30 leva per trip and in complete violation of the prohibitions on preserving the terrain in the high part of the mountain. This imposed stricter control on the part of the involved units and services.
The violations have decreased, but there are still violators, the mayor of Sapareva Banya Kalin Gelev said:
"Yes, there are isolated cases, but it is not massive, as it was before."